The Details

Carnival Cruise Lines has launched a new national advertising campaign that features past guests’ experiences as they recorded them on Carnival cruises. The Moments That Matter campaign includes thousands of real vacation photos and videos collected through social media.

Chief marketing officer Jim Berra said the unusual timing and type of campaign is part of the overall recovery plan to rebuild the brand after the publicity surrounding Carnival Triumph’s operational problems earlier this year. The campaign accompanies Carnival’s $300 million investment in fleet operations, the Great Vacation Guarantee and Carnival Conversations with agents.

“One cruise out of 1,500 is one too many, but we are doing the right things and we are learning from our setbacks,” said Berra.

When Carnival put out the call for treasured moments onboard, past guests submitted more than 30,000 pieces of content ranging from the pleasures of lounging poolside to marriage proposals.

“The best voice for our brand is the guests,” Berra stated. “We were overwhelmed by the amount and quality of the material.”

More than $25 million in total will be invested across broadcast, radio, digital and direct mail between September and December. In addition, 30- and 60-second spots — both with an agent call-out at the end — will air on major primetime network shows including “How I Met Your Mother,” “Parks and Recreation,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “The Voice.” They will also air on leading cable networks including Bravo, TNT, TLC, ABC Family, TBS and Food Network, plus online on Yahoo! and YouTube. The campaign began on Sept. 23, and will run until Thanksgiving, then break until after Christmas and run again through the Wave period.